Wheelbarrow



May 6, 1941. A. M. TAYLOR I 5% WHEELBARROW Filed Jan. 24, 1941 Figure 3 INVENTOR. AUGUST MORGAN TA YLUR Patented May 6, 1941 UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE 2,240,585 WHEELBARROW August Morgan Taylor, Childress, Tex. Application January 24, 1941, Serial No. 375,723 5 Claims. or. 2989-3) This invention relates to improvements in wheelbarrows and has reference more particular- 1y to a wheelbarrow designed with special reference to convenience in dumping.

In concrete construction work the grout is frequently transported in wheelbarrows and dumped into the forms. The wheelbarrows are usually of such construction that the body must be raised upwardly and pivoted about the axle of the wheel until its angle of inclination becomes sufficient to allow the grout to flow therefrom. With the ordinary wheelbarrow, the endwise tilting of the body is rather difficult for several reasons among which may be mentioned that when the rear end of the wheelbarrow is lifted the wheel has a tendency to roll forward unless it is blocked by a suitable chock. There is also a tendency for the wheelbarrow to turn about its longitudinal axis, and to operate such a wheelbarrow requires a great amount of strength and this, in turn, makes it;

very tiresome for the operator.

It is the object of this invention. to produce awheelbarrow of such construction that it can be more easily employed than the ordinary form of wheelbarrow and which shall be provided with means whereby the operator can hold the wheelbarrow from moving forwardly while it is tilted and which also permits him to employ his weight in such a way as to resist forces tending to ro-' tate the wheelbarrow transversely.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wheelbarrow that shall be of a simple and substantial construction and which can be manufactured at a comparatively small cost.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wheelbarrow of such construction that when it is run over a. narrow track, as for example, a 4 x 4 timber, it may be rested on the timber whenever the operator finds it necessary to do so.

The above and other objects which may become apparent as this description proceeds are attained by means of a construction and an arrangement of parts that will now be described in detail, and for this purpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention has been illustrated in its present preferred form, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the improved wheelbarrow, a portion being indicated in. dotted lines to show the relative position of the parts during the dumping operation;

Figure 2 is a top plan view;

Figure 3 is a section taken on 2; and.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the parts in line 3-3, Figure dumping position and indicating the position occupied by the operator.

Inthe drawing reference numeral 6 designates a supporting surface and reference numeral 1 the wheel of the wheelbarrow. The wheel is mounted for rotation on an axle 8 which-extends between the two parallel sides 9 of the frame. In the embodiment illustrated, the frame has been shown as. formed from tubular members, such as piping which has been bent, intermediate its ends along a curve designated by reference numeral ID. The sides 9 extend parallel to the point indicated by reference numerals II in Figures 1 and 2 and from these they extend outwardly to the curved portions l2 from whence they extend rearwardly in parallel relation as indicated by reference numeral l3. At the rear of the frame the members l3 are curved inwardly as indicated by reference numeral I4 in Figure 3 and thence downwardly and outwardly forming outwardly flaring supports l5 that are connected by a transverse portion l6 which serves as a support for the framein the manner shown in Figure 3. Extending inwardly from the parts I5 adjacent the inwardly curved ends M, are bars ll whose purpose will hereinafter appear. The load. carrying body of the wheelbarrow is formed from sheet metal of suitable strength and is provided with a bottom l8 from which the upwardly flaring sides 19 extend. The rear wall 20 is also upwardly flaring at the points indicated by reference numeral 2i. The bottom l8 merges into a forwardly tapering and upwardly inclined bottom portion 22, which extends over the wheel to a point perpendicularly above the members 9 where it is secured by welding or other means to a U-shaped support 23 that is pivotally supported on the axle 8 in the manner shown in Figure 1. A U-shaped tubular metal frame whose parallel side members have been designated by reference numeral 24, extends along the side of the body and across the front end thereof, where the transverse portion has been designated by reference numeral 25. The members 24 are secured to the sides of the body by loops 26 or by other means, such as welding. The sides 24 extend rearwardly so as to form spaced handles as indicated most clearly in Figure 2. At the rear of the wheelbarrow body, the side members 24 are joined by a transverse connector 21 which holds them from spreading. Extending rearwardly from the connector 21 are two bearings 28 in which a .rod 29 is journaled. Secured to the rod are hooks 30; which engage the bars I! in the manner 1 shown in Figure 1 so as to latch the handles and the body to the supporting frame in order that the frame will be carried when the wheelbarrow is moved. A spring 3| surrounds the rod 29 and is so tensioned that it tends to rotate the hooks in a clockwise direction when viewed as in Figure 1. A handle on trigger 32 is pivotally connected with one of the handles at 33. A connecting rod 34 has one end pivoted to the trigger 32 and the other pivotally connected with a crank arm 35 at the end of bar 29. When the operator desires to release the supporting frame, he exerts a pull on trigger 32, thereby releasing the hooks, thus permitting the body of the Wheelbarrow to be tilted while the frame comprising the and I6 remain on the ground.

Let us now assume that a wheelbarrow constructed in the manner shown in the drawing and described herein carries a load of concrete and. that the operator desires to pour the same into a form through thespout formed by the curved bottom 22 and sides 19a. The operator,

. after positioning the wheelbarrow, releases the hooks 30 and places one foot on the transverse portion l6, after which he lifts the handles 2 4 and tilts the body of thewheelbarrow forwardly until it reaches the position indicated by dotted lines i'n Figure 1* and indicated in a diagrammatic manner in Figure 4. As the body of the wheelbarrow is raised, the operator can move one foot, forwardly into the position indicated in Figure 4,

while resting the greater part of his weight on the transverse member 16. The pressureof the.

operators foot on the transverse member. IE serves to keep the wheelbarrow from moving'forwardly and also resists any forces tending to tilt transversely about the longitudinal axisof the frame.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A wheelbarrow comprising, in combination,

a frame having two side members, a wheel axle secured to the frame near its front end, a U.-

shapedmember connecting the other ends of the side members for supporting the frame, a wheelbarrowbody normally supported on the frame,

means for effecting a pivotal connection between the front end of the body and the front end of the frame, whereby the body may' be tilted relative-to the'frame, a pairof rearwardly extending spaced handles attached to the body, and readily releasable latching means for attaching the frame to the body for supporting the frame during transportation.

2. A wheelbarrow comprising, in combination a frame having two side members, the front ends of the side members being connected by a trans: versely extending axle, a wheel carriedby the.

axle, means for connecting and supporting the rear ends of the frame comprising a U-shaped member having its sides connected with the rear ends of the frame side members, a body normally supported on the frame side members, the

front end of the body-having a spout extending over the wheelfa support having its; upper end 7 attached to the spout and its lower end pivoted to the 'front ends of. the framefor tilting movement about an .axis extending transversely of the frame, a handle attached to each side of the body, the handles projectingto the .rear of the body, and readily releasable means for effecting a'connection between the body and the frame for supporting the latter from the body during parts I5 invention, what is pouring spout that extends over the wheel, a

support having its upper end attached to the spout and its lower end pivoted to the axle whereby the body may be tilted forwardly about the wheel axle, a handle secured to and projecting rearwardly from each side of the body, and cooperating latching elements on the body and on the frame, for supporting the frame from the body during transportation, and releasable to permit the body to'be tilted while the frame remains in normal position.

4. A wheelbarrow, comprising, in combination, a closed frame having two sides connected at their" front ends by 'a connector'portion lying substantially in the plane of the frame and at their rear ends by a U-shaped connector portion Whose plane is substantially perpendicular to the plane of'the frame, a transversely extending wheel axle attached to the front end of the frame,

I awheel carried bythe axle, a body supported by the frame, the front end of the body having a pouring spout that extends over the wheel, a

support having its upper end attached to the spout and its lower end pivoted to the axle whereby the body may be tilted forwardly about the wheel axle, a handle secured to and projecting rearwardly from each side of the body, cooperating latching elements on the body and on the frame for supporting the frame from the body during transportation and releasable to permit the'body to be tilted while the frame remains in normal position, and means movably attached to one handle for disconnecting the latching elements.

5. A wheelbarrow comprising, in combination, a closed frame having two sides connected at their front ends by a connector portion lying substantially in the plane of the frame and at their rear ends by a U-shaped connector portion whose plane is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the frame, a transversely extending wheel axle attached to the front end of the frame, a Wheel carried by the axle, a body supported by the frame, the front end of the body having a pouring spout that extends over the wheel, a support having its upper end attached to the spout and its lower end pivoted to the axle whereby the body may be tilted forwardly "gagement, and means comprising a lever carried by one of the handles for moving the latching elements into inoperative position for releasing the frame from the body.

AUGUST MORGAN TAYLOR. l 

